HUNTING NAMIBIA 2016

It all started last summer, 2015.  In April 2015 I was diagnosed with cancer under the skin on my head and left neck.  I had to undergo surgeries on three different occasions then chemotherapy and radiation therapy.  Needless to say I was a rather sick puppy from April 2015 to about February 2016.  I lost about 35 pounds total during the ordeal.  Not that I couldn't have used some lightening up, but loosing weight via surgery (cutting off flesh) then chemo and radiation is not pleasant.  {Next time I need to loose weight I am going to hire a real cute female personal trainer and join a gym.}  All the weeks I was vomiting in my darkened room in the basement I was thinking about my happy place.  We all have one.  Mine is on Farm Garib in Namibia hunting plains game with my dear friends the Leuhls.  I promised myself if I survived this treatment and the disease I would go hunting again across the sea.

February 2016 came around and I was actually feeling some better.  I was thankful to the Lord I might be on the mend.  My PET scan had shown no identifiable cancer and I was able to eat and drink a little.  I went on the internet and started looking for air tickets to Namibia.  I contacted my Namibian friends via e-mail and they said come on over -- late June or early July.  I asked my son, Dax, if he had time to go with me to hunt for 10 days or so.  Kind of like asking a little kid if he were in the mood for a candy bar but still I ask.  Dax had some comp. time and some vacation saved up so we were a pair to go.  I got the tickets on South African Airlines with USA connections via Jet Blue and Virgin Air.  South African is a top notch firm and Jet Blue -- blaah and Virgin Air -- sucks.  Next time I won't use Virgin Air.

Wed. 29 June 2016 Dax and I rode the Salt Lake Express shuttle to the Las Vegas Airport, boarding at 6 p.m.  The shuttle ride was nice and comfortable.  We checked in for our flights.  We left Las Vegas at midnight.  We traveled through the night to NYC and JFK then on to Johannesburg and finally to Windhoek arriving at around 11:00 a.m. on Thurs. 30 June 2016.  We had been on the airplane for a seemingly very long time.  Waiting at the airport for us was my brother from another mother, Hans Peter Leuhl.  What a friendly face and such a fun guy to meet us at the end of a long and exhausting trip.  We loaded up in his SUV and went over to his home to see his better half.  Frauke, is a first rate person and has been a great friend to me for almost 10 years.  It was really fun to be with them in their home again.  They traveled to my home in 2014 to visit and it was my turn to visit them  What a fun time we were going to have for 10 days or so. 

Peter and Frauke are kind of retired from farming and hunting so they live in town.  We drove out from town to the farm to start the hunting adventure.  We arrived on Farm Garib at about 5 p.m.  {Look at Google Earth to see the area with lat. and long. as:    23º08.078'S  17º37.976'E}

Our Professional Hunter, PH, Sigurd Hess, Sigi, was waiting in the drive when we pulled up.  It was nice to see him again.  He has helped me hunt before and is really a super nice fellow and great PH.  He constantly is cracking jokes and speaks 4 or 5 languages equally well.  He is quite a guy.  Not to mention he is 37 years old and really hyper -- like a teenager.  He always has energy to go out and do what needs to be done.  He is the kind of guy I like to have around to take care of my old weary bones.  I am not that tough any more.  I kind of get tired and can't see or hear as well as I used to.  Sigi, takes my failings into account when he helps me hunt, I really can't commend him enough.  He is fun, fair, and professional  --  what else is there in a PH or friend for that matter.  Did I mention he has an educated, hardworking, nice, and beautiful wife and two great sons?

Sigi the cook, Sigi on the upper P/U rack scouting, Sigi amigo

The stage is set.  The characters are all present.  The game is waiting for us to come find them.  I can hardly wait until tomorrow to start the adventure I have been thinking about for so many months.  We are given a real nice dinner of oryx steaks, gravy, pasta, tossed salad, cheese, superb bread, and sodas.  The food is so good at Farm Garib I think a significant percentage of why I keep going back is the food.  Evelyn is the cook when there are hunters on the farm.  She remembers me and gives me a sincere hug.  She is just like so many people in Namibia and especially on Farm Garib -- really friendly and pleasant to be around. We eat well and get to bed.  Tomorrow we go hunting!

BIG TRIP TO NAMIBIA

Just back from a BIG trip to Namibia hunting. I still have jet-lag to degree but it hurts so good. Kind of a pre-view type photo for up coming posts.